Space exploration is a rapidly developing field. The types of spacecraft cover a vast range including manned hard shelled space stations, space shuttles, and satellites—to name a few. These crafts usually provide invaluable information and services. However, the fact that these devices are operating in the generally inhospitable environment of space incorporates a unique set of issues. One such issue is a lack of the ability to capture a craft for repair or transport in space.
Many spacecraft are deployed to an orbital trajectory or a geostationary orbit. Satellites are an example of such crafts in space. While certain satellites could be captured and repaired by vehicles such as the Space Shuttle, these operations are expensive and limited to on site repairs or return to Earth. What is needed is a Spacecraft Capture Tug (SCT) to engage a craft in space for the purposes of moving or assisting in repairs.
One aspect of a SCT according to the present invention is the use of an engagement system. In one embodiment the engagement system is designed around a universal engagement system that will allow the vehicle to capture various objects from disabled spacecraft to man-made satellites to small asteroids etc. The vehicle will then return the captured object to a designated location in space for further actions, such as EVA servicing of a satellite at a space station. In one embodiment the engagement system will utilize two grapple arms with multiple joints to allow for a full range of motion and the grasping of a relatively close object. The forward end of one embodiment of an SCT will consist of the universal engagement system and associated avionics. In another embodiment, the engagement system is estimated to represent 10% to 15% of the vehicles total mass. The rest of the SCT will consist of standard propulsion and avionics system elements. The aft end of the SCT will have a docking adapter to allow other specialized Tugs to be attached as needed. The SCT is designed with generic capabilities to handle multiple missions.